Summary of
On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs

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Do you have a “real” job? Anthropologist David Graeber proposes that many jobs today are simply “made up” and don’t really need to exist. In this engaging article, Graeber tackles difficult questions about the meaning of work and the causes behind ineffective labor. The current US economy supports service-based and administrative jobs much more than society relies on these positions. getAbstract recommends this provocative perspective to workers who find little value in their current employment and need some inspiration to find their true labor of love.

In this summary, you will learn

What constitutes a “bullshit” job,

Why this type of work exists and

Why you work more than you should.

About the Author

David Graeber is a professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics.

Summary

In 1930, English economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that, in 100 years’ time, advancement in technology would enable a 15-hour work week. In fact, technology has already automated many jobs, but society simply created “huge swathes” of new ones to take their place. Employees are still bound to ...